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What is the best way to connect to the internet using my mobile phone?

I have a smart phone which enables me to connect to the internet.
When I touch the internet explorer icon, the phone connects to the internet (eventually).

However, I have got wireless internet at home and my mobile phone also has wi-fi facility.

Can you tell me what is the best way to get connected - shall I just press the internet explorer icon to get connected to the internet (which I am doing at the moment), or shall I enable my wi-fi facility on the phone, and then connect to the internet? Also, what method should I use when I am not at home?

Can someone also please explain the advantages/disadvantages of connecting either way.

You haven't mentioned the type of phone - Android, Apple or other - but, in general, if you have access to your wireless router at home, that's the best way to connect. You'll have the benefit of the full speed of your home broadband service. There's no additional cost involved and you aren't using up your data allowance.

When not at home or somewhere that allows you WiFi internet access, then you need to use the phone's "mobile data" service. Depending on where you are, the connection may be 2G (GPRS/EDGE) or 3G (3G or HSDPA). An Android phone will indicate the type of connection you've got with the symbols G, E, 3G or H.

Your phone provider will give you a "data" allowance in addition to text and call allowances that you can use in the month. This is the number of Megabytes that you can transfer over a 2G/3G connection. It includes both downloaded and uploaded bytes and would be used browsing the web, sending & receiving mail etc when "Mobile Network" is enabled in the phone's "Wireless & network" settings. If you connect by WiFi to your home broadband service, the phone automatically disables the 2G/3G connection and any data transferred doesn't count against your monthly allowance.

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